CHANNAHON — U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger cruised to renomination to his third term in Congress on Tuesday night, easily fending off a challenge from Rockford tea party organizer David Hale Jr.

With most results in, Kinzinger led Hale by a margin of 47,622 to 13,106 votes, a lead of 78 percent to 22 percent in the Republican primary.

Kinzinger, first elected in 2010, has faced primary elections in each of his contests, initially triumphing in a district that included the eastern portion of Woodford County.

Redistricting in 2012 moved him into a district that includes Putnam County and part of Stark County locally, though the major urban center is in Rockford. During the 2012 primary, he defeated Don Manzullo in an incumbent-versus-incumbent election that turned into a referendum on which of the two men was a better representative of conservative values.

He received flak from some activists in early 2013 for voting in favor of legislation that ended the “fiscal cliff” imbroglio, with one group calling specifically for challengers against him.

“I’m overwhelmed and humbled by today’s incredible show of support by the voters of the 16th District,” Kinzinger said in a statement. “While we face many challenges, I have never been more confident that we as a nation possess the pride and tenacity to triumph in these struggles. It’s time to roll up our sleeves, get to work, and renew America so that we leave the next generation a country that is stronger, more prosperous and more free.”